1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to boxes for food products and, more particularly, to boxes especially adapted for retaining leftovers from a pizza.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A pizza is often delivered in a box. Although a pizza may be circular in shape, a pizza box is generally rectangular in shape. Circular pizzas are generally cut up into triangular-shaped, individual serving size pieces which are considerably smaller than the overall circular pizza. Often, after a meal, one or more triangular-shaped pizza pieces remain as leftovers. The box used for delivery of the original circular pizza is relatively large, and a leftover triangular-shaped piece of pizza is relatively small. Therefore, if the original pizza box is used for storing a triangular-shaped piece of leftover pizza in a refrigerator, a great deal of refrigerator space is wasted to accommodate the original pizza box. To avoid such waste of refrigerator space, it would be desirable if a relatively large pizza delivery box could be adapted to become a relatively small box for storing a triangular-shaped piece of leftover pizza.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to converting a relatively large box to a relatively small box after part of the contents of the relatively large box is removed therefrom. In this respect, U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,220 discloses a reducible cardboard container that is reducible in size as part of its contents is removed and that retains its general shape and configuration as its size is reduced. The form of the large box size in rectangular, and the form of the small box size is rectangular. Since a piece of leftover pizza is often triangular-shaped, it would be desirable if a relatively large rectangular box could be adapted to provide a relatively small triangular-shaped box for triangular-shaped pizza leftover. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,071,062, 5,110,038, and 5,476,214.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,367 discloses another variable size box construction. A relatively small box, about one-half size, can be formed from a relatively large box. Both the relatively large box and the relatively small box are rectangular in shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,062 discloses a reducible carton for pizza pies and the like. The form of the large box size in rectangular, and the form of the small box size is rectangular. Moreover, it is pointed out the entire large box is folded into a smaller form. To provide a smaller box that includes less material than the larger box would be desirable so that the smaller box will be less insulated for cooling the leftover pizza that is placed in the refrigerator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,038 discloses plate forming and break down pizza box. Portions of the box are perforated, and the perforated portions are circular-shaped to form round plates. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,214 discloses another plate forming and break down pizza box. Portions of the box are perforated, and the perforated portions are triangular-shaped to form triangular-shaped plates for receiving triangular-shaped pieces of pizza. Generally, these patents teach the use of perforated portions of a relatively large box to provide smaller plates. Rather than providing plates, it would be desirable if perforated portions of a relatively large box would provide a blank for a relatively small box.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to provide a relatively small box from a relatively large box, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a pizza box apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides that a relatively large pizza delivery box can be adapted to become a relatively small box for storing a triangular-shaped piece of leftover pizza; (2) provides that a relatively large rectangular box can be adapted to provide a relatively small triangular-shaped box for triangular-shaped pizza leftover; (3) provides a smaller box from a larger box that includes less material than the larger box; and (4) includes perforated portions in a relatively large box that provide a blank for a relatively small box. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique pizza box apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.